With Real Intent

This morning, as I was checking my email, I found one from Your LDS Blog that mentioned some EFY (Especially For Youth) songs that I hadn't heard yet.

Being the curious soul that I am, I went to YouTube to find them.

My day is better for it already.

Check this one out.

Glorious, written by Stephanie Smith and preformed by Russ Dixon (who, by the way, is one of the master minds behind Beyond 5 (here)).



Tyler Castleton and Russ Dixon (Beyond 5 masterminds) have been using their talents in the music industry for a very long time, and have had their hand in a lot of EFY music.  Together they put together the 2014 EFY CD, Anxiously Engaged.

Which I own.

Which I love.

You need to hear this song from it.  It's preformed by Patch Crowe (a member of Beyond 5.  Are you guys catching on to how awesome Beyond 5 is yet?)



If you want to read the whole blog post on Russ Dixon and Tyler Castleton and their music ventures you can find it here.

Also, last night I was reading Broken Things To Mend by Jeffrey R. Holland, who is a rockstar in his own right.  In it he quotes part of the scriptures 2 Nephi 31:13, 17; a scripture I've heard and read so often but something about it struck me last night.

The phrase "with real intent" settled into my understanding and took on real meaning.  I stopped reading, all of 6 pages in on that book and I tested out the weight of those words.

With real intent.

And I wondered: what is my intent?  What am I trying to accomplish right now in my life?  Are my efforts real?  Is my desire coming from a sincere place?

Do I have real intent?

I've read on another blog (71toes.com) that every year she picks a motto for herself to live by.  I always liked that idea, but I never got around to doing it for myself.  I know the year is half way over, but I think for the next six months "With Real Intent" is going to be my motto.

I'm going to live the gospel with real intent.
I'm going to mother with real intent.
I'm going to be a wife with real intent.
I'm going to serve the young women in my ward with real intent.
I'm going to study the scriptures and other church books with real intent.

This also goes hand in hand with thoughts I've been having lately.  After praying and praying (and praying) for guidance with the direction of my life it keeps coming to me that I need to focus on the spiritual side of things, study the gospel, focus on teaching the gospel to my girls and in my calling, and if I do that the rest will take care of itself.

It's all just swirling around me, again and again.  Live the gospel.  With real intent.  Study the gospel.  With real intent.  Teach the gospel.  With real intent.

And that's all I need to know.